Races
According to the library of the Thaumaturgical Academy, there are six major races known to humans : humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, Zirantians, and succubi. The six races have a varying degree of "lust" and "purity" (supposedly fundamental elements of existence in this world, according to Alonon) with succubi being mostly aligned with lust and dwarves being mostly aligned with purity. Other types of sometimes-sentient creatures do seem to exist, such as demons and orcs, but how they relate to these six and why they are not "major" is unclear, and we do not know their position in the lust/purity framework. Humans Humans can be found all over the world, and form a large portion of the population of Arclent.Leftmost book about race in the Library. They are one of the more long-lived among the six races, which combined with their moderate breeding rate makes them the most common in the world.Second-from-left book about race in the Library. Humans are not ethnically or culturally homogeneous, and national peculiarities exist even within the same continent. For example, green hair is somewhat common in Yhilin (e.g. Megail), while the Givini are a dark-skinned dark-haired people whose kingdom was overrun during the war, leaving a diaspora of refugees in the neighboring countries. The human-ruled Arclentian countries of Ardoheim, Yhilin, and Aram all have distinct national identities. All humans encountered so far speak "Clentian", which is the dominant language in the world, even on other continents. This may indicate that humans originated on Arclent. There is supposedly no "patron goddess" for humans, but the Church of Ivala is the dominant religion for humans on Arclent, and other races sometimes consider Ivala as the humans' patron goddess. According to Alonon, humans have an equal mix of lust and purity that make up their souls, which is the optimum balance in comparison to the other races, which is why humans are so widespread throughout the world. Unpeople The Church of Ivala's Desecrationist faction also managed to create an artificial sub-group of humans who have no sexuality, Unmen and Unwomen, awkwardly called "Unpeople" collectively despite remaining sapient individuals if the process is performed correctly. These aren't a true race, as they are made by searing the sexuality from normal humans. If the process for creating an Unperson is botched or twisted, it may result in further mental or physical deformities, creating something like Dari or an undead-like minion with little mind of its own. Such twisted Unpeople may not have the sexual magic immunity of proper Unpeople, may gain elemental vulnerabilities they previously lacked, and may lose other body parts such as limbs. They will have shortened lifespans instead of the slowed aging enjoyed by proper Unpeople such as Vhala. Regarding their creation, Sierra has confirmed that: Unpeople do not have genitals. What they have instead They are also unfertile, as confirmed by SL here. Unpeople still have non-sexual body parts that seem usable for sex, like mouths, but it's explained without much elaboration that it simply wouldn't work. To succubus senses, the Unpeople feel like something is missing, like they're something inhuman wearing human skin. Even hugging one feels to succubi like hugging a dead fish, to Qum's dismay. Unpeople lack nipples. A few might have flesh in the shape of breasts, but they wouldn't actually be the same body part. Unmen don't usually grow beards, and both have less body hair.Private conversation with Decanter. The explanation behind their supposed immortality is explained by an Unknown fan in the blog and confirmed by SL in the next message. Regarding their social organization, we know that: Despite their sacrifice, irreversible unless the Doom King commissions certain advanced research, many humans do not like to be reminded of the existence of Unpeople, and Unpeople tend to be discriminated against even in basic legal protections. Elves Elves are the typical pointy-eared, gracile humanoids, but contrary to the usual fantasy tropes, in this world they live shorter lives than humansWord of SL, Fenoxo forum thread (but longer than succubi) and mature slightly faster. Elves form another large portion of the population of Arclent, and apparently can also be found on Thenours. Most of their kingdoms on Arclent were wiped out during the invasion of the Succubus King,The central book about race in the Library. leaving only the two isolationist countries in the great southeastern forests. Those who escaped the Incubus King live as a diaspora in human kingdoms. Most of the elven diaspora live in slums, but Yhilini elves with magical talent can get out of the slums. On Thenours, the kingdom of Ghenalon appears to be multi-ethnic, but it has a elvish-sounding name and it is ruled by the elf queen Fheliel.As reveled during the Gathering. Apparently, Arclent humans stereotype elves as "flighty, mischievous, and promiscuous", and while Simon doesn't find the characterization fair, he admits that it applies to many of them. To that, Yarra can add only the opinion that they are excellent breeders. According to Lynine, this is because Elves are extraordinarily susceptible to lust magic. Little is known about past elf culture. According to Simon, Arclent elves used to be as culturally diverse as humans before the invasion of the Incubus King, when their "great kingdoms" were destroyed. The remaining elves are either forest-dwelling isolationists or refugees trying to fit into the human societies they inhabit. The mage Altina, the first elf you encounter, wears "human" clothes and equipment, much to the dismay of the only forest elves you've met this far. Elves have their own language called , which is spoken near-exclusively in Darghelon and Gheldaron, and as a major language in Ghenalon. Many also speak some Clentian. While some elves worship Ivala or the Goddess of Magic, most in Darghelon and Gheldaron worship the Mother of Elves (usually just called "The Mother"). The most devoted followers are called the Mother's Guard, but their ascent to power is very recent.As Simon learns during his second visit, by speaking with his ally. While most elves acknowledge the existence of other deities, they believe that the Mother is the patron god of elves. Worshippers of Ivala are allowed in elven forests, enough for them to have a High Priestess, but they are suppressed to a certain extent. According to Alonon, elf souls are made of up of more lust than purity, saying that their "weakness" to lust magic is actually an affinity. Dwarves From the little we've seen of them so far, dwarves also follow most of the usual tropes - they are short, stout, and fond of mining, metalworking, and beer. They are the most longevous race, but their extremely low reproductive rate has put them on a path to extinction. Arclent has the largest dwarf population in the world, and even there they are a small, dwindling minority that rarely ventures outside of their subterranean kingdom of Eustrin. Due to declining power and proximity to Aram, Eustrin has become a vassal state to Aram. Within Ghenalon, there is a sizable dwarven colony called Suorin, which may be the source of Varia's advanced explosives. Dwarves apparently prefer to live underground and don't let outsiders any deeper than the outermost layer of their tunnels. Most dwarves venturing outside or dealing with non-dwarves seem to be male; female dwarves experience a strong social pressure to stay in the safety of deep tunnels, though they do not seem to be outright imprisoned.Initial conversation with Galvia The have their own language, but many speak the common language of Clentian. Dwarves mostly venerate Tertia, the "Goddess of the Earth", believing she created dwarves from stone. However, Tertia is not actually worshipped much, because she is believed to be absent or dead. A few dwarves in Eustrin worship Ivala, ministered to by a Church missionary. As a cultural outgrowth of their dwindling population, dwarves have a quasi-religious aversion to weapons, though not an outright taboo or ban. They can tolerate selling weapons to outsiders, but frown on weapon proliferation among dwarves.Conversation with dwarven manufacturer, Megail's route, Chapter 2. According to Alonon, dwarf souls have an extreme ratio of purity to lust, though not quite as extreme as the succubus ratio. Halflings As expected, halflings are smaller than humans, but not as tough as dwarves. They tend to live (slightly) longer than humans. The only known halfling-ruled kingdom is Stenai, on Thenours, though a few do live among the humans on Arclent.The rightmost book about race in the Library. Because of their lack of physical prowess, they tend to focus their efforts towards magic and trade. One of the noble houses of Yhilin, a kingdom famous for its magic use, is the halfling House Rose. Those who live in human nations seem to try to assimilate to the country they live in. Unlike the other five "mair" races, halflings have no legends of a racial patron deity. Those who live in the human-dominated nations of Arclent may worship Ivala. They are able to also rise up in the Church, so halflings like Sarai can become high priestesses. According to Alonon, halfing souls are composed of more purity than lust. Zirantians Zirantians are a very diverse group of humanoids with some animal features - eyes, ears, tails, etc. Despite appearances though, they are more closely related to succubi than to animals.The second-from-right book about race in the Library. Their form is subject to a great variation. There are Zirantians with features of cats (Lexande, Kia, and Nia), birds (Biyue), lions (King Kanfuor), goats (Yuanuon‏), rabbits (Fuani‏), foxes (Allue and Alluon), and many other animals. Zirantians mature very fast and their lifespan is slightly shorter than humans. Unlike other races, female Zirantians can breed only when they go into estrus ("heat"). Zirantians form another large portion of the population of Arclent. They are the majority in the kingdom of Zirantia, but Zirantians can also be found in the human kingdoms, where they often suffer poverty and discrimination. Zirantia itself is rather young - it was formed after the war on some of the devastated territories liberated from the Incubus King and named after the mythical homeland of the race. Some Zirantians claim to value the "raw conflict of nature, played out in our chambers of government" and this may be expressed with power in Zirantia lying mainly with political parties in houses of representation, despite a constitutional monarchy. Outside of Arclent, Zirantians also seem to live on Renthnor, in Philon.Revealed during Simon's stay in the Orgasmic Empire. Zirantian seems to have a visible but dwindling patriarchal system, with unattached females being able to have positions of power, however attached females will tend to defer all conversation and discussion to their "breeders". A common Zirantian language does exist, but so far it seems to be used only in Zirantia. All Zirantians originating outside the kingdom have spoken only Clentian. The kingdom claims Antiala as the patron goddess of both country and race, but it's unclear if she's worshipped outside Zirantia. According to Alonon, Zirantian souls have more lust than purity, but only slightly. Succubi Succubi are not demons."People might call succubi or orcs sex demons, but we're not the same thing as real demons." ~Yarra, at the end of the Stineford Thaumaturgical Academy demon attack. Succubi are an all-female race of lust-driven humanoids who can drain life energy from beings vulnerable to sexual magic. Succubi are mostly human-like, but usually have pointed ears, horns, bat-like wings, and spaded tails. One or more of these characteristics may be absent for a minority of succubi, especially in the special case of lamias.Developer's reply to Decanter's Patreon comment Along with orcs, succubi often fill the armies and retinues of Incubus Kings, though independent groups do exist. Unlike orcs in their natural state, succubi tend to be about as intelligent as other races, and can have quite varied characters and worldviews. Like humans, succubi can be found all over the world, and they are the dominant population on Renthnor. In the countries where succubi are the majority, they are usually ruled by Incubus Kings. In other countries, succubi use illusion magic to disguise themselves as locals in order to feed off the sexual energy of locals. The main exception (at least at the start of the game's plot) would be the multi-ethnic Ghenalon, where succubi live in peace with other races. Succubus biology Compared to humans, succubi reproduce very quickly, but reach maturity and age faster than humans. The average lifespan is just about 40 years,"Succubi III" topic in the library of the Orgasmic Palace. with rare exceptions: Riala is legendary among the succubi on Arclent for her age and power (the explanation of this anomaly is revealed at the end of Chapter 3). While they don't age the same way humans do, succubi do start to feel a decline in power after around the age of 25, which has psychological consequences similar to the mid-life crisis in humans. Because of the different rate of aging, all succubus characters on the wiki have both their chronological age and the equivalent human age listed in on their pages. Succubi don't need sexual energy to live, but they need it to thrive. Like humans, they can survive only on food and water, but this is detrimental to their well-being: among other things, their hair gets dull and wings go limp. While it is generally assumed that succubi consume sexual energy by eating semen, it has been theorized that succubi can feed off of sex itself. Additionally, succubi can forgo sleep if they are sexually charged, but not indefinitely.Confirmed by SL on the blog. Most succubi are bisexual; in general, they are easily and often aroused, always ready to jump whoever they find attractive. Succubi find the concept of not being "in the mood" to be strange."Sex Combat" topic in the library of the Orgasmic Palace. Despite using lust in combat on everyone possible, they do have personal preferences in their choice of partners. Succubus reproduction is unusual. While they give birth the usual way, succubi conceive only when they want to."Succubi I" topic in the library of the Orgasmic Palace. A male partner is required, but their seed can be absorbed anywhere. The child is always a succubus, but reflects the father to some degree - how much exactly is a subject of dispute among the succubi. Orcs are able to impregnate succubi, but they appear to be completely neutral breeders and have no effect on the resulting child,. While this allows for population maintenance, succubi may prefer to seek partners among the other races. Succubi who use "futa spells" to grow penises are able to have children with other succubi, but not with any other race's females, for unknown reasons. Ambient magic also affects succubus formation a bit, though not as strongly as with orcs, and it is partly for this reason that using "neutral breeders" produces succubi similar to the parent but not identical. During the Gathering, we have the opportunity to discover that there are various different phenotypes like the Ghenalese Succubi or Draconic Succubi during the Succubus Hunt or the succubus meeting. Lamias also identify themselves as part of the succubi race, but they face discrimination by other parts of succubi society.At least that is what some lamias say in the Empire.. There is believed to be some connection between succubus appearance and their power and status. Black hair is traditionally associated with elite succubi, though there are exceptions. The librarian succubus of the Orgasmic Palace attributes the connection at least in part on social conditioning."Succubi II" topic in the library of the Orgasmic Palace. Most succubi have white hair, a smaller number - green, and even a smaller number - black and other colors. A succubus with a natural bright pink hair is unheard of, though she's "probably perfectly normal". Green-haired succubi usually have green skin, but not always. According to Alonon, succubus souls are composed of about 90% lust and 10% purity. Succubus culture Succubus culture revolves around sex. Sex is used to worship, to raise children, and form relationships with others. According to Nalili, kids who don't have sex with their parents grow up to be weirdos. Because succubi almost always seem willing to have sex, succubi also seem to have trouble understanding consent. Their society is also very inefficient, because most succubi would rather work in a brothel or as a soldier instead of doing needed office work. Succubi have their own traditions of cuisine, as mentioned in a certain quest. They excel at foods involving sauces and fillings, such as those of chicken pot pie or eclairs. Erotic presentation of such foods is not uncommon. The religious beliefs of the succubi are primarily centered around the mythical figure of the Lustlord, acknowledged as the same being depicted in Ivalan theology. The form these beliefs take varies between the different succubus societies. Succubi in the domain of a certain Incubus King believe his earthly remnant rules their nation and is regathering his power to reascend - or at least, they profess this belief in public. Some succubi have also found themselves drawn to the new Goddess of Magic cult, or the Church of Ivala. However most Ivalan succubi tend to prefer a version of the Church that is less restrictive on sex. After the events of the Council of Gawnfall, these succubi may swell in number, split to form their own church under Yelarel, gravitate to factions friendly to them, or be suppressed in general. Lamias Lamias are a subspecies of succubusblog comment with serpentine lower bodies, no wings, and sometimes snakes in place of hair. In other respects, they are generally similar to normal succubi. Lamias are used as guards and other "muscle" roles, but are rare in many parts of succubus society. Some of this is for practical reasons, as they can't sit on normal chairs, climb stairs, walk easily in narrow spaces, and other actions common to humanoids. However, much of it is because lamias tend to be discriminated against, even by other succubi (at least in the Orgasmic Empire and Arclent). Unsuccubi During the Third Arclent War, a new sub-type of succubi appeared. The Unsuccubi were the Incubus King's answer to divine anti-sex magic, being totally immune to its effects, as their sexuality had been stripped from their souls by the Incubus King. As succubi's souls are inherently intertwined with their sexuality, the process of converting them to Unsuccubi rendered them little more than rampaging feral monsters who felt constant agony. This meant they had no sense of loyalty to any causes, although they would not attack each other. Their strength varied, but the presence of their broken souls unnerved those who could feel them. Some whose transformations were incomplete were restored by Simon (although there were some who could not be saved), although they bear permanent scars of their ordeal. Recovered Unsuccubi share a special bond with Simon, leading some of them to choose to join his palace guard. Although their experiences have separated them from the rest of the succubi population, their unique traits have actually made many of them more attractive to other succubi. Orcs Orcs are a brutal race who occasionally have members who are as intelligent as other races, but are mostly known for being monstrous creatures that are driven by their instincts to kill, rape, and pillage, even when they are not under the command of an Incubus King's instinctive ability to dominate them. Orcs are not "monsters" as conventionally understood, because Sx defenses do not repel them. This is fortunate for efforts to civilize orcs and build a nation for them, starting in Chapter 4. Orc biology The exact nature of orcs is unclear. During his stay in the Orgasmic Empire, Simon learns that they can impregnate succubi, giving some weight to the idea that orcs are the male counterparts of succubi, and some scholars even argue that they should be called "incubi", though the disapproval of the Incubus Kings has discouraged the practice. On the other hand, things are not as simple as they appear - the child of an orc and a succubus is always a succubus who inherits no traits from her father, and the orc breeding specialist Balia says that orcs are unlike any other race and describes them as "naturally-occurring constructs". Learning more about orc reproduction provides further evidence of their strangeness. All orcs are male, and despite their extremely aggressive sex drive they seem to be able to impregnate only succubi. Unexpectedly, orcs themselves reproduce asexually, via fragmentation - they grow bigger and bigger, until they split into pieces, each fragment becoming a new orc. The "child" orcs mostly inherit the traits of their "parent", but any deviations from the baseline (increased strength, intelligence, etc.) tend to get diluted and diminished among the rising number of offspring. This is why the process results in low-quality orcs when left to its natural course: orcs blindly follow their instincts and grow as big as they can, splitting into many pieces, and repeat the process again and again. As a result, one of the basic tenets of orc breeding is keeping orcs into narrow, confined spaces, such as caves and pens. The breeding process itself is at least partially powered by lust magic. Therefore sex does have a role in orc reproduction and the urge to have sex (usually through rape, though not necessarily) has a biological purpose - orcs having sex accumulate lust energy. Contamination with outside magic is possible if the process is not carefully overseen by a breeding specialist. Contamination is one of the reasons for the appearance of unusual orcs and regional varieties, such as the "snow orcs" mentioned by Balia (which are not different, except for weakness to fire and possibly altered coloration). To a lesser degree, the females an orc breeds with may also affect his eventual offspring. Most orcs are barely smarter than animals,Sierra Lee on dominating orcs: "Most orcs have only animal-level intelligence,..." but many do posses intelligence closer to the average human level (which is not much...), and some even above it. Aside from the most obvious examples (listed below), other intelligent orcs include the orc representatives present at the Gathering, as well as the Lustlord's skeletal palace guards and captains (one of them is even shocked when Balia produces a "mindless brute" during the tournament). While orcs are somewhat diverse on the individual level, larger cultural and "racial" differences do seem to exist between the orc armies of the Incubus Kings, probably due to their directed orc breeding efforts. This is made evident during the Gathering, when Yarra's group meets the orc representatives, as well when Orcent fights in the orc tournament. Notable orc varieties include imps (on average, physically weaker than normal orcs, but just as dumb) and Erosian orcs (who, like everything Erosian, have an East-Asian theme). "Skeletons" in the service of Incubus Kings (mostly Lustlord in Rodak) also tend to be orc skeletons and apparently some of them still possess a penis. Orc culture Before the events of the game, orcs have never had a nation or land of their own, and tend to be dominated by Incubus Kings in order to be excellent disposable soldiers or slave labor. Orcs form the bulk of most Incubus Kings' armies, though there are also many without a master. On Arclent, "wild" orcs are either remnants of the invading armies of the Incubus King, or groups that have "leaked" from his domain. With the creation of Tak'Kan, orcs are experimenting with a republican form of government. Arclent orcs maintained a shrine of sorts at the Bloody Spire, secret until the Doom King's orcs are invited there for a decision-making contest of strength during the Third Arclent War. The place's background is unknown, and orcs who consider it sacred don't seem to know why. Riala says the spire has no deep magical significance, but scholars believe that culturally the place may represent orc power independent of Incubus Kings.Conversation with scholar orc at Bloody Spire. Orcs are not completely without physical or mental sophistication. Some enjoy dancing and drum-heavy music. By Chapter 4 of the game, orcs may be getting into beer-brewing, debate, reading, and magic beyond simple shamanism. Demons Demons are mentioned several times as a distinct group of beings. Most demons do not have minds as "mammals" would understand them, but some . Demons are residents of the Tower and can be given humanoid appearance such as what happen to Sabitha after the Fucklord found her. It is unknown whether the little not-girl is a demon or different type of resident of the Tower. Some mortals, such as Aka and Xestris, can become demon hybrids that are more resistant to the powers of the Incubus Kings and the Tower]. Shard holders The bearers of soul shards seem to come in two polar opposite types: the lust magic Incubus Kings and divine magic Goddesses. Many of the goddesses keep the appearance of the race that worships them. Wings is also a common attribute among many the goddesses. Incubus Kings subconsciously choose an appearance that they imagine themselves as, so the Lustlord looks godlike, the Lord of Blood looks like a demonic warrior, and Simon looks like an old man. Currently it seems that neither may be an actual race, but just a status resulting from taking a shard, which may be done by any race. References Category:Lore Category:Races